Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a lot to contemplate ahead of a season in the Championship (Picture: AP)

The fixtures have been released! I’m not quite sure why the fixtures being released brings such excitement. There are 23 other teams in the league; we will play them all twice. Once at home and once away.

And, thanks to a catastrophic season, Cardiff City don’t even have the joys of away trips to Old Trafford, The Emirates and Turf Moor. We now have trips to Griffin Park (my favourite stadium!), Elland Road and Craven Cottage. Ah.

Last year, we mulled over a trip to Upton Park and home games against Manchester City and Everton. This year, we travel to Blackburn with home games against Huddersfield and Wigan to follow.

In fact, out of our first ten games, only two teams haven’t played in the Premier League. I could keep looking forward and I could keep adding former Premier League teams to the list.

If we look at the first ten games, Cardiff City really do have some tough games to get through. Wigan finished the season briliantly. Wolves got promoted from League One and still have some excellent players. Fulham and Norwich were our relegation buddies. Middlesbrough is the perennial play off hopes. Derby deserved to be promoted.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will really have to ensure his players hit the ground running. He needs a clear game plan, a clear formation and a clear idea of who his first XI is. He spent too long trying to figure that out last year and it cost him.

If Cardiff City are to have any hopes of escaping the Championship, they need to start strongly. Lose to teams like Derby, Wigan, Fulham and Cardiff City will already be on the back foot. I don’t think Ole operates well when the chips are stacked against him.

Seven wins are a must; Cardiff won seven as they romped to the Championship in 2012/13. Now they need to do the same.